Morning daybreak swept through my room with a gentle glow, the morning birds chirped their symphony, and the brush outside my window danced with the faint autumn breeze. All peaceful in the outside world, my phone disrupts the smooth silent song with an annoying buzz. I grumble into my pillow, not yet ready to leave my shuteye just yet, I let it ring beside me until it stopped, then a notification rang in my ear of a new voicemail.
I turn my head over to face the clock, red curly strands of hair falling over my face and eyes, untamed from the long restless night.
8:04 am, September 08.
Another whine leaves my chest and reluctantly, I sit up rubbing my tired eyes, and pick up my phone.
One Missed Call From: Jason Blackwood
One New Voicemail From: Jason Blackwood
I put the phone down and on speaker as I get up from my bedside, "Kyriae. This is the final time your mother and I are asking nicely. Come. Back. Home. You two were never cut out to live by yourselves, you need us. Stop dragging your brother down with your pitiful outburst, this is beneath him. You are wasting Rome's life with your selfishness Rai, grow the f***k up and stop clouding his mind with your worthless nonsense. I expect a call back momentarily. Don't keep me waiting long."
The phone buzzed as it finished the voicemail, a text from Rome.
8:06 am: "Hey"
8:07 am: "Guess whose first day it is!"
8:07 am: "Hurry up and wake up sleepyhead"
I put my phone back down on my nightstand with a smile and a sigh. Maybe our father was right. We've lived here in Richmond Virginia for over four months now, but we've just now been able to save up enough to cover our apartment bills for one month. With Rome working as many hours as he can at an unknown job, and me working as much as I can at the cafe next to campus, we've both barely made it.
Disregarding the thoughts, I pull a flimsy white tank top over my head, noting to myself that another tear has started on the spaghetti-string strap, and I walk out of my bedroom to be greeted with the smell of freshly cooked bacon. "Mornin Rai," Rome smiles, placing two crispy strips on a plate next to some eggs, and slides it to me, "you look like you could use more beauty sleep." He smiles and wipes strands of fading brown hair away from his eyes, the curls needing a desperate cut. The resemblance between us is uncanny; Rome being my identical twin, everything about us looks as if it were copied and pasted, only his dyed-brown hair and his annoying 9 more inches in height being the difference between us from afar.
Sitting at the counter I pick up a crumb and throw it at his wide back, "You don't look much better yourself," I say smiling. He puts on a fake appalled face and spins around, mouth open wide in a gasp and clutching the grey fabric on his chest of the t-shirt. "The audacity!" he begins in an exaggerated tone, "I'd have you know that I am by far the best-looking guy here in the state of Virginia," he chuckles with a sarcastic grin. I throw one more crumb of bacon at his chest and take a bite of one of my eggs looking down in seriousness as he giggles to himself.
"Jason called again," I start. He flinches at my words, allowing me to continue silently, "They want you back..." I look down at my food, picking at it. He lets out a deep breathy sigh, keeping his back turned from me, "Of course they do," he states shallowly, "anything about you?" His tone is clipped, obviously annoyed just as much as I am at the constant calls from our father and mother. "Nothing out of the usual, just the same old- same old..." I take another small bite out of my breakfast and stillness falls between us. He turns around and locks his green eyes into mine thinking about something I couldn't quite make out, then he clamps his eyes shut with a sigh. "They won't find you Kyriae..." he begins in a dark tone, "I promise I won't let them." Silence fills the room and I nod, quietly chewing through the dense atmosphere.
"Well, that's a great way to start a beautiful morning," he washes away his dim face as if it were never there and smiles brightly at me. "Anyways, come on!" He pushes off the stove after turning it off and strides toward me and I quickly take a final bite of bacon before he spins me around in my chair. "We gotta be in class by 9:00," he states pushing me to my room and sitting me on the corner of my bed before rummaging through my closet, throwing out random items of clothing next to me. He turns around with a blue-grey blouse that matches his grey shirt, "for the boys," and throws it on my lap. I smile and set the blouse beside me and get up. "I can dress myself, Tiger," I laugh dragging him out of my closet. He pouts, either from the overused nickname he grew up with, or his being dismissed from my now-ruined closet. He turns around against me pushing him out towards the door, "I'm gonna stop by and get coffee on the way," he smiles, "My treat!" A grin forms on my face, "That sounds great, thanks Tiger," I giggle and drive him the remainder of the way out the door as he huffs again at the childish name.
I close the door and stand there for a minute resting my head on the wooden frame. Turning to the bed I get undressed and head to the bathroom connected to the bedroom turning on the shower. Glancing at myself in the mirror I skim my eyes over the girl glancing back. Her long curly auburn-red hair flowing down her back down to her waist, the long strands framing her face and body. Her lightly freckled pale skin illuminated by the artificial lights above her shone, the clear skin making her skin look like that of a porcelain doll flushed in all the right places. Her deep green eyes reflecting a once small-town girl from Massachusetts, a void with an emptiness just beginning to fill along with a new life. The scar on her collarbone echoed the abuse her 'family' showed while proclaiming their definition of parenting toward her, showing her the right way to act and be a lady, beating her as she crawled on the floor, pulling her hair, and dragging her away from guests for hours at a time into a pitch-black room. 'All in the name of love.'
The glass fogged up and I'm snapped out of my trance. I run my fingers along the long scar across my neck and collarbone and step into the shower. 'They aren't here anymore...' I wash and detangle my long hair in the shower, taking my time to wash it as if I was washing away the memories of living with our parents.
I close my eyes, reminiscing the night Rome found me in that dark room secluded in the house. Our parents were busy with their friends, drinking in the living room across the house and Rome had snuck away that night wondering where I went, oblivious to what happened behind closed doors when he wasn't there. When he found me he was so worried for me, I didn't know what was happening. I was bleeding out on the hard floor in the corner, where I always sat, a deep gash open wide near my neck from the beatings I previously endured that night for dropping a brush.
That night was the last night I saw him the same. I hadn't known my age, my birthday, his name, or who exactly he was. Before then he was just a friend of our parents in my eyes, being treated as if he mattered as much as the world like the rest. That night he told me I was his sister, his twin, we were 17 at the time, and Rome since then would sneak away from the parties and get-togethers when he could to see how I was doing. Bringing me books, family pictures, and journals to pass the time, I learned that he was the pride and joy of the family, the son they always wanted. They never expected me as well when we were born, a girl in the family was a liability to them. Our family was rich, and well off far beyond my understanding at the time.
The time went by faster with a friend, the weeks that used to feel like a lifetime flew by, the beatings didn't hurt so bad, and the days had a new light knowing that there was a possibility of seeing my new brother that night. Before I knew it another year had gone by and the seasons changed from that from winter to spring. The beautiful weather didn't compare to the wrath I would get the last night I lived there. Being in my bedroom using my newly acquired phone from Rome, our father bursts in, drunken with rage. After that, I don't remember what happened. Rome tried to fill me in with pieces of the story when I asked. But all that he'd say was he couldn't watch what his father was doing to my bleeding and unconscious body, deflowering a young girl barely of age. He said he just saw red and the next thing he remembers was driving to somewhere safe.
I finish in the shower letting the water run over me for a second longer before turning off the faucet. Taking another look in the foggy mirror I take a deep breath and smile at myself. 'It's going to be a good day.'
Pulling on a bra and the blouse Rome picked for me, I grab a pair of black shorts and tights and run a few strokes of mascara through my lashes to complete the look. After throwing my long hair up into a ponytail and letting my bangs frame my face, I grab my ankle boots and head out to the living room and sit beside Rome, playing on his phone. He glances up at me and smiles, "Wow, so you can clean up nicely," he jokes standing up and grabbing the keys off of the kitchen counter. I grab my book bag, double-checking if I have everything I needed, and head out to the front door after Rome.
As we pull out of the apartment parking lot I gaze at the scenery around our living space, taking everything in as I always do. Cutting into the silence, "Well?" Rome starts asking in a questioning voice, "Well what?" I ask. "Have you thought about what you want to do for your birthday tomorrow," he glances at me with a small smile. I completely forgot about our birthday. This year is the first time I've ever truly celebrated it, my mind goes blank with an overload of possibilities. He must have seen the way my eyes lit up because, at one more glance, he lets out a laugh and then focuses back on the road, "We don't have to do anything big if you don't feel comfortable with that yet."
We pull into the cafe parking lot, overcrowded with people as always, "I'll think about it," I smile at him. We both step out of the car and into the hot September day. A name yells out from the ambient noise around us, and Rome picks his head up to look around, his face softening as another familiar face catches his eye. "Nolan!" Rome walks around his car and closes in on another man, his dirty blond hair cut short along the sides in a fade, letting the top of his hair grow longer. Rome hugs the stranger and glances back at my confused face. "Man, come on let me introduce you," he walks Nolan over towards me and stands in the middle between us. Nolan looks me up and down with an unspoken look crossing his eyes, and I was not sure if he was trying to be obvious or not, but Rome doesn't seem to notice.
"Nolan, this is my sister, Kyriae," he states slinging an arm over my shoulder. Nolan sticks out his hand in an attempt to grab mine and I place my palm in his. He shakes it then bends down to give it a small peck on my knuckles, and I blush at his grin, "I'm a friend from work. It's nice to meet you." Nolan stands back up and looks at Rome nodding and Rome elbows him in the ribs. "Hey Rai, why don't you go and order me and you the usual," Rome states releasing his arm from on top of my shoulder. I turn around to face him as he rummages through his pockets for his wallet, pulling out his card and handing it to me. "Yeah, sure," I sound and turn away from the two boys. Rome is taller than Nolan, not by much, but just slightly enough to tell there's at least an inch difference between them as they talk and settle leaning on the hood of Rome's car near the entrance.
I head through the crowd outside enjoying their teas and coffees and I make my way to the back of the line inside the cafe to wait to order. I pull my phone out of my bag due to the distinguishable buzz from a notification. Rome.
8:43 am: "Mind grabbing a sandwich as well."
8:44 am: "You can get one for yourself as well:)"
I glance out of the window of the cafe at the boys laughing and talking outside, then my eyes draw to another man walking up towards the entrance. His stride reeked of pure power and dominance, and a shudder trailed its way up my spine. He looked almost as if he were an angel, 'an angel on the prowl to kill... I have never seen anyone like him someone so confident in themselves, drawing attention to themself wherever they went. He walked into the door of the cafe and a chill surged through me as our eyes met, his dark amber eye peering from behind someone as he gazed at me back burning with something almost inh-
"Hello?" I snap out of my trance as I was being called to the counter ahead of me, now aware it was my turn in line to order. I move away after paying to flash a quick smile and choosing a seat near the corner of the cafe to await for my name to be called, signaling my order was ready. Looking at my phone I trail my eyes back up at the man in line now walking up to order, he was truly stunning even seeing him from afar was enough to see that. His features tell an unspoken story of life unknown to all but him, a mystery he was cryptic to show. I tried to listen for his order, disappointed at not being able to hear his voice over the loud cafe noise and I sink into my seat. 'What are you doing Rai, get ahold of yourself.' I feel him glance at me again and this time I look up to see his whole face, but it was too late. He's looking at his phone in an irritated manner and storms out of the cafe, raising it to his ear as he exits. I sigh and look at the time, 8:49 am, 'are we going to make it to class?' I glance out of the window taking in the beautiful autumn colors surrounding the trees and foliage outside, the light breeze making the colors mix beautifully.
"Order for Kyriae!" I get up and grab the iced coffees and sandwiches and walk towards the door. I feel one of the coffees slipping from my hands, and hurrying, I grab it back in place and I walk out of the cafe. A shoulder bumps me out of the way and I fall into a hard chest, spilling one of the coffees on the expensive white shirt covering it. A strong arm is wrapped around my back and a hand is around my shoulder, stopping me from falling to the ground, as the other hand holds a phone away from the spill, avoiding getting wet.
I look up, strands of hair flowing across my face, and a firm muscle contracts in the man's jaw above me, a now noticeable scar trailing up from beneath his shirt's high collar, to his jaw towards his eye; the familiar dark amber, a void of color and yet bursting from the glow of the sunlight accompanying a piercing blue gaze as vibrant as a sliver sea, looks into my soul through long dark lashes, as another chill leaves my body.
Low-hanging strands of hair fall over his face loosely, separated from the rest of the slicked-back hair due to the breeze, the flowing platinum blond making his two eyes pop brighter in color, highlighting his five-o'clock shadow and slightly tanned skin. He was almost surreal, a being not for this time, elegant yet powerful, yet he looked mid-twenties. His amber and blue stare burrowed itself in my green bore, neither of us faltering our look at each other.
"Are you going to make me hold you longer or are you going to move," he growled. The hairs on the back of my neck stood as fear overcame me for the lack of preparation that was his voice. Low and deeper than even my father's, his voice demanded attention and fear. His accent wasn't of one from America, it sounded Slavic, but a foreign area I had no recollection of.
I push myself off of his hold just taking in the towering nature of this man. He was taller than Rome, dominating over my small 5'3 body by at least a foot. His now wet shirt showed evidence of him putting it to work as well, clinging to the tightly corded muscles that were his abdomen. I flush and remember what just happened, "Oh- Oh- I'm so sorry," I start, my mind racing on how to help him after I just ruined his shirt. Another glare sent my body into a shudder and another muscle tensed in his jaw as I subconsciously patted the few paper towels I had on the stain.
Just before I spewed more nonsense, I see Rome striding over and pulling me slightly behind him. "Hey man, sorry for the shirt," Rome stares daggers into the mysterious man that was still looking at me. "My sister's sort of a klutz," he laughs and the man breaks his stare at me and looks at Rome. "I have somewhere to be," the mysterious man says in a dark tone, obviously pissed, and turns to walk toward his car.' I said I was sorry,' I hunch my shoulders over and Rome places his arm on my shoulder again, "The hell was up with that guy," he laughs, "dude looked as if he were gonna eat ya alive for spilling a coffee."
Driving to the school, Nolan follows behind us pulling into the campus parking lot it took us ages to find a spot near our building. Nolan found one first, heading to class, and Rome grumbles to himself. By the time we find a spot and walk into the building, I checked the time, 9:04 am. With a defeated sigh, I mentally throw out the goal of being on time for my first day in college.
The doors close with a loud thud behind us and Rome and I halt, silencing the lecture presented, all eyes trained on us. 'So much for sneaking into class.' "And you both are..?" A familiar dark accent fills my ears and I turn around to see the same mysterious man from the cafe, his beautiful amber and blue eyes darkening as they meet mine. "A-ah," I stutter out, "Kyriae... Kyriae Blackwood... Sir." My nervousness is unquestionable, and his eyes tread from mine up to Rome's and back down. "And I take it, you're the second new student, Roman Blackwood?" His look never left my eyes as he spoke, as if he were searching for something hidden in them and hating what he found.
I noticed he had changed out of his white coffee-stained shirt, and put on a black t-shirt. This one was tighter, tucked into his black slacks showing off more of his build. The scar I noticed under his high collar before more visible under the low-cut shirt. It appeared as if it trailed down past his collarbone, and I trail my eyes around more of the now-exposed skin, there were more. A lot... more... I looked back up at his face to see him still staring into my eyes. 'He saw me looking...' I blush. He looked away from me, "find a seat," he said, stopping my thoughts, and returning to his lecture.
Nolan stood quietly where he sat, giving us a clear view of what was open next to him. We walk up the stairs silently to the row he was sitting in and sit next to him. "What did you both do to get on Professor Khromov's bad side?" Nolan leans in and whispers. "Seriously he's never done that." Rome and Nolan talk about the coffee incident and I let my mind wander to the man before me, leading the class.
'So this is Professor Khromov...'